About 2/3 of American adults drink
alcoholic beverages at least occasionally.

Is that a problem? Not unless you combine drinking alcohol with getting behind the wheel of an automobile.

Why?

• Alcohol is a factor in about 40 percent of the more than 40,000 deaths that occur each year in vehicle crashes.
• More than 16,000 people die every year in alcohol-related traffic crashes.
• Alcohol-related crashes account for approximately 60 percent of young people ages 16-24 killed on the highways each year.
• Every 32 minutes, a member of someone's family dies in an alcohol-related crash.
• One alcohol-related injury occurs every 2 minutes.
• Every year, 1.5 million people are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Approximately 3 in 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash sometime during their lifetimes.

It doesn't take long to realize that it doesn't always happen to "the other guy." Alcohol-related crashes continue to impact the lives of many innocent victims -- including you and your loved ones. AAA would like to remind motorists to remember that drinking and driving don't mix.

Advocacy

Reducing crashes related to alcohol use is a priority for AAA. Based on research recently released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, AAA clubs will begin addressing the many complex aspects of this important issue at both a state and national level in order to contribute to the reduction of alcohol-related crashes.

More on AAA's efforts.

Young drivers are especially prone to alcohol-related accidents. There are ways to protect yourself.

How much is too much?

Obvious effects include slowed reaction time, diminished coordination, slurred speech and overconfident behavior. a deadly recipe when considering the task of driving. You've probably heard that .08% to .10% blood alcohol concentration - BAC - or more is legal evidence of driving while intoxicated. However, you might not know that you can be convicted of alcohol-impaired driving at a lower BAC if there are other indications that your driving is impaired. This is true in all U.S. states.

Consider some of these other facts about alcohol and driving.